1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to machines such as automatic clothes washing machines, and more particularly, to self-locking support mechanisms for use with such machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In machines such as automatic clothes washing machines the weight distribution of the operational components of a machine may be unequal. Additionally, such machines are often required to stand on uneven base surfaces. In order to function properly the weight distribution of the machine should be balanced among the support contact members of the machine. This is particularly true of automatic clothes washing machines which accomplish a high speed spin or centrifugal extraction operation. If the weight distribution of this machine is not balanced, the forces generated by the rotating basket and its load of clothes and water during the spin operation may cause the machine to shake badly and to "walk" across the base surface on which the machine is standing. Since the user may move these machines during the course of their use it is highly desirable that the weight balancing mechanism for such machines be self-locking so that after movement of the machine by the user it may be easily balanced in its new location.
Various foot adjusting units for leveling appliances such as clothes washer machines and the like have been utilized in the past. For instance, there are several known ways of adjusting the feet by utilizing a cam surface one of which is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,032,970 wherein a screw mechanism is utilized to rotate a cammed surface that raises and lowers a foot element. There is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,707 a device for use on furniture legs where the height of one of the legs is adjusted by a cam element, however, there is no means for locking the cam element in its desired height position. There is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,539 a cam element which is rotated to adjust the height of a structure such as an ironing table and that cam element is retained in its proper position by a series of meshed teeth. These various leveling mechanisms are deficient in that they either do not provide for a means of locking the adjusting unit at the correct height, they require considerable manipulation to achieve the correct height adjustment, or they do not provide for infinite adjustment within a desired maximum and minimum height.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved self-locking foot support mechanism for leveling appliances and the like relative to the base support or floor.